Spectacular Spider-Man #142
Will!
In Atlanta, Spider-Man swings across the city, vowing that things with Tombstone will end that evening. Seething with rage, the wall-crawler thinks back to the events that brought him to the state of Georgia...
He recalls how he was at Midtown Hospital asking Joe Robertson what he should do about the recording he made confessing Tombstone's crimes. It was then that a nurse told him that his wife, Mary Jane, had just arrived in the emergency room. Rushing to the emergency room, Peter is relieved to see that his wife only has a sprained arm. She explains that Tombstone forced her to tell him that he was here at the hospital with Joe. Fearing that the villain might be nearby, a surgeon comes up to the Parkers and tells Peter that he has a phone call on the nearby pay phone. As Peter expected, it is Tombstone, who tells Parker to turn over the Robertson confession, warning that he will hurt Mary Jane more if he refuses. Deciding that they should meet in neutral territory, Tombstone knows that Peter is going to a book signing in Atlanta the next day and orders him to meet there. When Peter arrived in Atlanta there was a note from Tombstone telling him to meet at Tara Square....
... With his recollection over, Spider-Man heads to his rendezvous with Tombstone. He thinks about how he tried to contact the Punisher and tip him off, but couldn't find him. Back in New York City, the Punisher is a prisoner of the Arranger and being subjected to the hypnotic powers of the Persuader. The Arranger has his men monitoring the Punisher's health and demands the Persuader to give him results. Even though the Punisher is resisting his influence, the Persuader is certain that he will eventually crack the vigilante. After one final burst, the Persuader recoils in pain. At first, the Arranger believes that his minion has failed, however, the Persuader tells him to get a good look at the Punisher. Seeing that Frank Castle is in a hypnotic state, he congratulates the Persuader for a job well done. While at Midtown Hospital, Joe Robertson is told that his back wasn't broken, only bruised and compressed. Told that he will walk again, Joe is taken through rehabilitation therapy. As he struggles to walk, his son Randy Robertson cheers him on. Struggling to walk, Joe begins to hallucinate that Tombstone is right in front of him and threatening his family again. Unwilling to surrender anymore, Joe leaps at the apparition, which vanishes as soon as he comes into contact. Not seeing this, Randy is impressed with his father's speedy recovery. While in Lansing, Michigan, a blond haired woman leaves the high school where she works and heads for her car. Suddenly, a craft carrying two armored individuals blast her car. Fleeing for her life, the woman manages to escape through a sewer pipe. As she flees, she knows that Peter Parker will save her, because he always saves her.
Back in Atlanta, Spider-Man waits for Tombstone with the recording when suddenly, the villain ambushes him, knocking the pair off the side of a construction site. While back in New York City, Joe Robertson has called his family, J. Jonah Jameson, Ben Urich, and Kate Cushing to his hospital room. There he makes another recorded confession of how he allowed Tombstone to get away with murder. Meanwhile, Tombstone has the upper hand against Spider-Man at first. Ultimately, Spider-Man regains his footing and begins beating Tombstone into submission. He demands to know why he didn't kill Joe Robertson to being with. Spider-Man is shocked to discover that Tombstone considers Joe a friend in some sick and twisted fashion. Spider-Man then strikes Tombstone with a powerful enough blow that he goes falling off the side of the building. Spider-Man braces the killer's fall with his webbing, but this doesn't stop Tombstone from landing in the back of a dump truck filled with cement. Although the battle is over, Spider-Man grimly thinks that the only way Tombstone will stay in prison is if Joe talks to the authorities, and hopes that he does the right thing. Little does Spider-Man know that Joe has finished making his statement to Jonah and the others and intends to go to the Justice Department and resign his position as editor-in-chief at the Daily Bugle while he goes to trial for accessory to murder. However, J. Jonah Jameson refuses to allow him to step down, telling him that he is expected at work the next morning.
Meanwhile, the Arranger is watching the news and is disappointed to learn about Tombstone's arrest in Atlanta. However, for his next plan, he has just the operative to carry out his orders. The Punisher is then called into his officer where the vigilanty vows to kill anyone the Arranger orders him to eliminate.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Tombstone, Punisher, Mary Jane Watson, Joe Robertson, J. Jonah Jameson, Persuader, Arranger, Kate Cushing, Ben Urich, Gwen Stacy clone, Martha Robertson, Randy Robertson, Amanda Robertson
Continuity Notes
Peter and Mary Jane are referred to as husband and wife in this story. However, years later, their marriage is erased from existence by the demon Mephisto in Amazing Spider-Man #545. As a result, Peter and Mary Jane should be considered a common-law couple here as opposed to husband and wife.
At the time of this story, a book of Peter's photos of Spider-Man had just been published in a book called "Webs" in Amazing Spider-Man #304 leading to Peter going on a book tour.
This woman is the clone of Gwen Stacy that was created by Mile Warren as chronicled in Amazing Spider-Man #142-149. She will catch up with Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #8.
